These days, I do my cruising in small, open boats. They’re cheaper to build, easier to haul, quicker to set up, and more exciting to sail than big boats. I’ve learned to accept their limitations, happily for the most part, but there are times, like a third straight day pinned down by high winds and driving rain, when what I really want is a small, cozy cabin. I don’t need anything fancy, just a dry place to lay out a sleeping bag and small stove, but the boat still has to be cheap and simple to build, light enough to trailer easily, and enough of a shoal-draft cruiser to pull up to a beach or anchor in knee-deep water.For that kind of sailing, John Welsford’s Sweet Pea is well worth a look. The name is an allusion to Swee’Pea, the quick-scooting baby from the Popeye comics and cartoons. Welsford originally drew Sweet Pea as a club racer, but his clients also wanted the boat to be suitable for cruising their sparsely inhabited, relatively sheltered home waters. Welsford describes the result as “sport cruising on a budget,” and that’s exactly what Sweet Pea offers: a fairly fast shallow-water cruiser for those who prefer the comforts of a cabin and a portable toilet to a tent and a trowel. The boat could even be a contender in endurance events and adventure races, where a place for the off-watch crew to rest comfortably out of the weather can offer more of an advantage than pure speed.
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I’m looking for a second boat to build after finishing a Martha’s Tender. A Sweet Pea with the Gaff Yawl rig just looks like it would be the perfect choice for me. I really like the beaminess of the boat; my John Leather designed Oyster is that way and brings tremendous stability and the capacity to carry six people. I also like the simpler construction of building around the bulkheads rather than molds. That will save a lot of time and I won’t get stuck with a stack of molds after construction. I am also impressed with the Sweat Pea’s sailing ability. It would match my style for sailing in all kinds of weather. Nice article—it has me hooked!
Dick G
Tom, excellent article on Sweet Pea. Having watched her being built out in the Boat Palace, I can say it is a joy to see her shining and on the water. While she is indeed somewhat more modern in appearance than we are used to seeing in John Welsford’s boats, she is still a Welsford. There is no escaping that classic Welsford look. I always knew she was a keeper for the sort of coastal sailing most of us do but offering features and stability we don’t always have in small boats we build.
I see John Welsford’s influence on Scamp. Both the Sweat Pea and the Scamp are amazing designs for such small craft. I can imagine downgrading from 21ft sometime in the future.
I’m late to this conversation, but thanks, everyone, for your comments and kind words. Sweet Pea—yeah, I really liked it. Seems like a comfortable and fast boat, a cabin boat I could imagine myself building someday (relatively simple to build) if I ever go back to cabins. I’m so glad I got the chance to go out for a long afternoon sail with Mike and John at Oklahoma.